Which position group is the most pivotal for Michigan in 2026?

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The Michigan Wolverines head into 2026 with a lot of optimism after a frustrating 2025. The schedule is daunting, which ultimately might prove too difficult to overcome, but there is also plenty of reason to believe this team can improve enough to notch a couple key wins and earn a trip back to the College Football Playoff in Kyle Whittingham’s inaugural season.

For that to happen, the Wolverines will need to improve over last season in most places. A combination of good recruiting, strategic transfer portal additions, and actual coaching and player development taking place should allow that to happen, but where do you think is the most critical spot for Michigan to take a big leap forward this fall?

The Secondary​

Perhaps this is greedy, but the first place that comes to mind when I think about this question is the defensive backfield. This area was up and down at times last season, but ended with a clear positive trend, especially at cornerback. Getting both Zeke Berry and Jyaire Hill back ensures a high floor, and bringing over Smith Snowden from Utah really pushes up the ceiling.

There are a few questions at safety, with Rod Moore more of a nice thought than a certainty. Transfer Chris Bracy is a helpful anchor with Mason Curtis and Jordan Young looking to build on last year, but the strength of this secondary is certainly at corner. Maybe even Shamari Earls or JoZiah Edmond end up adding to that depth too.

The reason why I am excited about this area is because the secondary has a chance to go from becoming a strong unit to an absolute weapon that both defines the defense and sets the offense up for success. The 2023 national championship team had countless good qualities, but there is no overstating how critical the secondary was down the stretch. This group may not reach that level, but it 100 percent has the potential to be the team’s foundation.

Passing Game​

Now, the most obvious answer to this question is the aerial attack. That starts with Bryce Underwood making that famous Year One-to-Year Two jump, which is probably the likely outcome but far from guaranteed. I am not worried about the spring game — nor am I considering Tommy Carr — but the blue-chip talent does need to make up a lot of ground from his rookie season.

Coaching and scheme should help here, though the supporting cast will also be a big boost. Retaining Andrew Marsh was critical, and along with JJ Buchanan, Jaime Ffrench, Salesi Moa, and Travis Johnson, the newcomers should fill in plenty of gaps left by last season’s lukewarm pass catching group. Add in an elite run game and impressive offensive line, and suddenly the pieces have quickly come into place.

Seeing Michigan boast an explosive passing game would of course be welcomed, though maybe I am just a bit too skeptical to let myself believe. For one, that does not seem to be how Whittingham and his staff tend to operate, and they are going to deploy Underwood strategically. But also, I do not think the Wolverines need to be phenomenal in the air to be a great team; even getting to average might be enough.

Pass Rush​

What most defined the 2021-23 stretch had to be the defensive line, with unprecedented talent in the middle and future NFL rushers off the edge. This has gradually regressed to more of an average facet of the game, especially in the pass rush department, as the Wolverines were just 54th in sacks last season and 47th in tackles for loss, failing to consistently pressure the quarterback.

Right now, it is not really clear if things will look any better in 2026. John Henry Daley has all the potential in the world, but his health is a huge question mark. Nate Marshall, Cameron Brandt, and Dominic Nichols all could do some damage, though all of these options also feel like coin flips compared to the monsters of the past five years.

If we get to December and say that edge position is the one that improved the most from its 2025 edition, I think we will feel pretty good about how the season turned out. Michigan football (and Whittingham’s career) have been built around outstanding defensive lines that control the game from the trenches. This was painfully missing last year and is in desperate need of a revival.

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